Danger Mouse & Jemini - Ghetto Pop Life

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An instant classic that missed its moment.

By Will Fry

The name Danger Mouse is well known thanks to the legal uproar that his cross pollination of The Beatles' The White Album and Jay-Z's The Black Album caused. In the wake of all the Grey Album controversy Danger Mouse has become the rap producer du jour, hooking up with all manner of folks from Gorillaz to Madvillain and Prince Po.

Unfortunately, what may very well be Danger Mouse's crowning jewel to date, Ghetto Pop Music, is often overlooked. The album, which sees Mouse joining forces with Jemini the Gifted One, is a sprawling, 19-track slice of intricate rap(sody) that, though neglected by most of the world, still stands out as one of the better albums to come out of the genre in quite some time.

The album opens with "Born-a-MC", which is a track that sets the stage for the remaining 18 cuts on the album. Jemini spits his lyrics in a frantic manner while and Danger Mouse drops a brooding, repetative orchestral beat that works as the perfect introduction to a near perfect album.

Jem's acrobatic style of emceeing is one of the most original and refreshing flows to grace rap, causing one to wonder why he never materialized beyond underground status after he first emerged back in the early '90s. Often profound, sometimes copious, always inventive, Jemini plays games with words, and his style that the listen is always distinctive.

Danger Mouse's production is, for lack of a better world, epic. From funk, jazz, rock, etc, the textures, and layers in GPL are a wonder to hear. The production on this album probably won't be bettered for years to come.

From start to finish Ghetto Pop Life is immediately listenable, but preserves complexity, whether the song is about life, sex, or politics. That DM& J have dropped a near classic on their first outing bodes well for future collaborations between the two.